"A" is Ayumi Hamasaki

Ayumi Hamasaki

is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...

's tenth single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

, released on August 11, 1999. Hamasaki's best-selling single as well Japan's 57th best-selling single of all time, "A," is unique among Hamasaki's singles, as it is her only single with quadruple A-sides. However, the Recording Industry Association of Japan

Recording Industry Association of Japan

The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry...

 claimed that "A" is not a single but an album.

Commercial endorsement

"Trauma" and "Monochrome" were used as the background music of two TV commercials for the JT Peach Water drinks. "Too Late" was the theme song of a TV ad for Honda Giorno Crea. "End Roll (Hal

Hal (group)

Hal is a Japanese pop band formed in 1996. They have worked with several Japanese pop and rock stars and also have won two Japan Record Awards for their musical arrangements for singer Ayumi Hamasaki .They habitually write their name as HΛL, replacing the Latin "A" with the Greek "Λ" or Lambda.Hal...

's Mix)" featured in commercial for Morinaga as background music.

Ayumi appeared in the four commercials.

Track listing

1. "Monochrome"
2. "Too Late"
3. "Trauma"
4. "End Roll"
5. "Monochrome" (Keith Litman's Big City Vocal Mix)
6. "Too Late" (Razor 'N Guido Remix)
7. "Trauma" (Heavy Shuffle Mix)
8. "End Roll" (Hal's Mix)
9. "Monochrome" (Instrumental)
10. "Too Late" (Instrumental)
11. "Trauma" (Instrumental)
12. "End Roll" (Instrumental)
13. "End Roll" (Neuro-mantic Mix)
14. "Monochrome" (Dub's full color Remix)

Charts

Oricon Sales Chart (Japan)

Release	Chart	Peak Position	First Week Sales	Sales Total	Chart Run
11 August 1999	Oricon Daily Singles Chart	1
	Oricon Weekly Singles Chart	1	508,940	1,670,000	17
	Oricon Yearly Singles Chart	3

• Total Sales : 1,670,000 (Japan)
• RIAJ certification: Million
• "A" is Hamasaki's highest selling single and her second consecutive single to sell over a million copies.

Live performances

• August 13, 1999 - Music Station - Monochrome
• August 16, 1999 - Hey! Hey! Hey! - Too Late
• August 17, 1999 - J-Pop Night Channel A - End Roll
• August 17, 1999 - J-Pop Night Channel A - Monochrome
• August 17, 1999 - J-Pop Night Channel A - Too Late
• August 17, 1999 - J-Pop Night Channel A - Trauma
• September 2, 1999 - Utaban - Trauma
• September 24, 1999 - J-Pop Night in Velfarre - End Roll
• September 24, 1999 - J-Pop Night in Velfarre - Too Late
• September 24, 1999 - J-Pop Night in Velfarre - Trauma
• November 13, 1999 - Utaban - End Roll
• December 30, 1999 - Hit MMM - End Roll

External links

• A information at Avex Trax Network
  Avex Trax
  , listed in the Tokyo Stock Exchange as 7860 and abbreviated as AGHD, is the holding company for a group of entertainment-related subsidiaries based in Japan...
  
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• A information at Oricon
  Oricon
  , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
  
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